Contract awarded for repairs to school track at Verona's H. B. Whitehorne

Caution tape hangs from a pole near the H.B. Whitehorne Middle School track Monday, Sept. 1.

Just in time for the start of the school year, the Verona Board of Education approved a contract to repair the track at H.B. Whitehorne Middle School.

The board awarded an $84,500 contract to American Athletic Courts Inc., based in Southampton Township, officials announced during a Tuesday, Aug. 26 meeting. Because Montclair Kimberley Academy shares the track with Verona, it will cover half the cost of the project, which includes repairs and resurfacing, according to board member Steve Spardel.

Verona did need to address an additional drainage issue, though, which added another $28,940 to the total, according to Paul McDevitt, director of facilities maintenance and custodial services for the district.

The track should be fully functional by the first or second week of September, according to Spardel.

Trouble first began at the track during the winter of 2012-2013, when about 100 yards of the rubberized surface came undone.

The facility closed down for a time, but opened again following a $3,700 temporary fix to patch up the problem area prior to the spring of 2013.

Bidding for the project opened Aug. 6. American Athletic Courts Inc. was the only company to submit an offer.